My non-knit Christmas

I didn't get anything knit for Christmas this year. I didn't plan ahead. Of course, this is the first year that knitting was even a real option. I've only gotten back into it since the discovery of the world wide knit-web. Now I'm not sad that I don't have any lovely things to gift this year, but I do wish I had considered the idea sooner. My family is so hard to shop for. It's very stressful to give thoughtful gifts, especially when I have two little ones I have to haul around with me wherever I go. (That part is getting better as I am more honest with my husband about needing time out alone and I have a neighbor I'm swapping babysitting with.) I'm also on a pretty tight budget this year, as the kitchen remodel is continuing and is not completely covered by the insurance and we still need about $5000 to remove the tulip poplar. So, my kids are getting the lion's share of gifts, of course. My husband got his camera upgrade last month, so I am getting a small digital camera to make up for the lack of a truly portable camera to catch the daily stuff of running around with kids. I found a silver Christmas tree for my mom. She said she wanted one of the old ones from aluminum that you couldn't use lights on, just the spinning spotlight. I know it's too late for her to put up this year, but I just found it yesterday. My dad is getting a photo album, a fleece blanket, and a flower to plant. I'm giving my sister a fleece blanket and some money for the cattery at the SPCA. She works there and appreciates a donation more than stuff. As for everyone else, I bought a big can ($25) of Virginia Diner Chocolate Covered Peanut Brittle that I'm going to split up and I'm making truffles and cookies to go with it. Not very original, but I couldn't come up with a zillion gifts that wouldn't break the bank. Next year I'm making everyone ornaments. I did that the year Mamaw died. I took a flower from every arrangement at the funeral, dried them, and put the petals into glass ornament balls. Now every year, I put a reminder of her up on my tree, and so can everyone else. Maybe next year I'll do little knit sweaters and stockings and stuff. Also, my boy will be 4 1/2 and my girl 2 1/2, and that's perfect for child labor, I mean craft gifts!

Giving thanks to whom thanks is due

General Thanksgiving
By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of America A PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houfes of Congress have, by their joint committee, requefted me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to eftablifh a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and affign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of thefe States to the fervice of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our fincere and humble thanksfor His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the fignal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpofitions of His providence in the courfe and conclufion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have fince enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to eftablish Conftitutions of government for our fafety and happinefs, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are bleffed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffufing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleafed to confer upon us.
And also, that we may then unite in moft humbly offering our prayers and fupplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and befeech Him to pardon our national and other tranfgreffions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private ftations, to perform our feveral and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a bleffing to all the people by conftantly being a Government of wife, juft, and conftitutional laws, difcreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all fovereigns and nations (especially fuch as have shewn kindnefs unto us); and to blefs them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increafe of fcience among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind fuch a degree of temporal profperity as he alone knows to be beft.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand feven hundred and eighty-nine.
(signed) G. Washington

Source: The Massachusetts Centinel, Wednesday, October 14, 1789

(and who said our forefathers were not Christian)

Disorderly Household (or Business As Usual at My House)

I'm on the Flylady (http://www.flylady.net/) list and today I got her thanksgiving holiday reality check. They talk about perfectionism in there, which is really what keeps me from doing anything around my house. I hate that, but even right this minute, I'm sitting here thinking that since I have no kitchen, what is the point in keeping the hallway clean? And if the hallway isn't neat, what's the point in cleaning the dining room? Besides, I'm supposed to be packing to come to PA, which means I need to finish my laundry, but I can't fold it while Natalie is awake because she likes to wear Connor's underwear on her head and she digs through through the basket throwing all the clothes on the floor. So, I think I'll wait to fold clothes until she goes down for a nap, but I didn't sleep well last night so I'll just doze here on the couch while Connor takes his nap. I can fold clothes when the kids go to bed tonight. But, we're meeting my dad for a pre-trip dinner since he's coming home for Thanksgiving until Sunday and we won't be back until Monday and I'll just want to hang out with Paul since we haven't had any time to just veg on the couch together. So the packing can wait until tomorrow after we get back from CBS and picking up a few things for the trip oh my goodness! Paul slipped out of class really early today and he's ready to go now????? But there's still dirty dishes in the bathroom sink...

And I'm not even planning a Thanksgiving dinner.

By the way, take some time this week to thank God for everything He has blessed you with (that would be everything you have!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

The knitting herd

So, I've noticed knitters are sheep. We all follow each other, sometimes not even knowing who is the leader. The internet is the shepherd. We all jump on to see what everyone else is doing. Ooo! Ooo! The new knitty is out! Everyone make Monkeys!! Ooo! Ooo! Ravelry! Everyone sign up! Ooo! Ooo! Mystery ___ #432! Gotta do it!

I am a sheep. I'm working on Monkeys. I'm on Ravelry. Not only was I trying to do MS3, I didn't learn my lesson and am signed up for Mystic Waters KAL. It all started for me with meetup.com.

Excuse me, I have to go check what my friends on ravelry are queuing.

Baa.

the new camera is a hit!

With my husband anyway! It came in last week and he is having a blast with it. It's really nice: an almost-professional digital SLR. I'll get used to it eventually, and I'm sure I'll come to love it. For now, though, I can only lament its relative lack of portability. In other words, it won't fit easily into my purse/diaper/knit bag. At least, not if I want to keep purse-things/diapers/knitting in the bag as well. This just means I won't have a camera on hand for snapping candid shots on the run of my cute offspring. Crap. On the other hand, I may actually be able to get some nice knitting shots... someday.

The contractors are here today tearing down my kitchen. It's a mess. I should have gotten food and drinks out of there to get us through the day. It's 10:15 and I'm starving. There's roofing paper between me and the pantry. I've seen some of what's inside my hundred year old walls. I don't want that stuff in my lungs. The plan is: one day demolition, one and a half reframing, then wait for the electrician and the plumber, then two days finishing. Once that is done, we will take final measurements and order our new cabinetry. That will take 3 weeks to come in. We will be installing, along with help from friends. So, you figure five weeks to completion puts us right after Thanksgiving. So, we should be done by New Years.

My sock swap socks are in the works. I have been working only on them, but alas, I'm not very fast. At the rate I'm currently moving, I should have them done by Christmas. Just kidding... I think! Maybe my kitchen will be done by then... Hey, I can dream!

The dog ate my camera

That's not fair. Nobody actually ate it. We were in Lancaster, PA, and the camera suddenly stopped working. It refused to read any memory stick. Fortunately, we were almost done with our little vacation so there wasn't much we needed to take pictures of. If it had happened earlier in the trip, I would have been royally pissed off. So, we checked with Sears and our warranty is still good until December. They are going to give us a new camera because they don't make ours anymore. Now for the funny part: it's working today. Dilema: do we still try to get a new one? I'm afraid that it will happen again after the warranty expires. Grr.

still here!

Life gets in the way sometimes, don't it? School started, and even though my kids are not school-age, our lives seem to revolve around the school year. We have been super busy. I decided I didn't like my Hogwarts socks, so I frogged and ordered new yarn. Fleur, they will be my top priority... if I can put my new scarf away! I'm learning to cable! It's kind of fun... All knitters should knit one pair of socks and some sort of cable project. I saw a cable scarf at wal-mart and I wanted it. But I wanted to do it myself. So I am. Anyway, I must put the distractions-I mean children!- to bed.